Separator for pneumatic-dispatch systems



Feb. 3, 1931.

J. A. BAUER 1,791,460

SEPARATOR FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 51, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet l Inven'lor. John A.Bau6'r.

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J. A. BAUER 1,791,460

SEPARATOR FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 51, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 3, 1931.

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In ven lor. John A.Bauer.

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Patented Feb. 3, 1931 U-NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN BAUER, OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS SEPARATOR FORPNEUMATIC-DISPATCH SYSTEMS Application filed October 31, 1929. SerialNo. 403,761.

This invention pertains to carrier dispatch systems and relates moreparticularly to signal means designed to announce any accidentalclogging or jamming of carriers in a transit through the system. In thatembodiment of the invention herein chosen for illustration the signalmeans is associated with a carrier separator, distributor, or automaticswitching device such as is commonly em- 1!) ployed in pneumaticdispatch systems for assorting carriers-of one class from those ofanother, (for example cash and change carriers) distinguished bydifferently shaped heads'or the like, but in its broader aspects, Icontemplate the applicability of the invention to switching devices ofother specific type and to carrier dispatch systems other thanpneumatic.

Such pneumatic dispatch separators or distributors as above referred tousually comprise as their essentials a casing providing a main passageadapted to be interposed between and disposed in alignment with twosections of atransmission tube,a branch passage diverging from the mainpassage,

and an abutment member which yields to permit carriers of one type totraverse the main passage without substantialopposition and thus tocontinue in their normal path,

but which arrest-s carriers ofthe other type and causes'thein to toppleover end for end into divergent passage for delivery at some suitablepoint. Such a separator is described for example in the patent toPearsall, No.

1,102,225, June 30,1914.

While such separators are reliable so long as carriers do not enter themin too rapid succession, they are uncertain in action if called upon toseparate carriers arriving 40 with such frequency that a newly arrivingcarrier interferes with a precedingcarrier which is being diverted intothe branch passage, since under such circumstancesthe' carriers tend tojam and clog the separator.

Such clogging may remain unnoticed until many carriers have beenintroduced into the transmission tube so that it becomes verytroublesome to clear the tube to permit resumption of operations. Thepresent inven tion provides means for signalling the operator whenever acarrier is improperly disposed or abnormally positioned within theseparator so that the trouble may be investigated andcorrected at once.

In the accompanying drawings I have il-. lustrated one desirableembodiment of the invention by way of example and in the drawings Fig. 1is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating a single unit of a doubletube system extending between two stations and provided at one stationwith a separator device which embodies the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation, to larger scale and partly insection, showing onehalf of the distributor or separator casing with itsinterior mechanism and embodying certaln elements of the presentinvention; this figure also indicates diagrammatically a part of thesignal circuit;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section to larger scale substantially on theline 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating one suitable arrangement ofconnections foruse in a system comprising a plurality of units of thetype shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Fig. 1, I have illustrateda transmission tube 1 having a dispatch terminal 2 located at thestation 3, which for example, may be the central station of a storeservice system, such tube 1 leading to the delivery terminal 4, at theout station S. The return transmission tube 5'extends from the station Sto the station 3 and is hereillustrated as provided with the distributor6, and withthe suction pipe 7 leading'to the suction drum 8 inf'usualmain ner'. i.

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Referring more particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 5, the distributor 6comprises a casing having an upper tubular part 9 adapted to be clampedto the lower section of the tube 5, and a lower tubular part 10substantially aligned with the part 9 and as here shown having a tubesection 11 clamped to its lower end. This tube section 11 may deliver toany suitable point, but as shown in Fig. 1, discharges its carriers ontoa distributor belt 12. The casing of the distributor 6 is provided witha lateral branch 13 providing a passage with diverges from the mainpassage defined by the members 9 and 10, and this branch 13, asillustrated, leads to atube section 14 which delivers its carriers ontoa belt 15. In common with distributors of this type the mechanismillustrated comprises a movable abutment arm 16 which projects into themain passage along which carriers normally pass on their way from themember 9 to the inemher 10. This abutment is provided with latchmechanism of usual type, such for example as disclosed in the patent toPearsall above referred to, and isso constructed that a carrier 17having a flat or normal head will depress the abutment member 16 andpass freely along into the lower part 10 of the casing from whence it isdischarged through the tube 11 onto the belt 12. On the other hand,carriers 18 having recessed heads are not able freely to depress theabutment arm 16 and are thus suddenly arrested and caused to bounce 0rtopple laterally over the bumper 19 disposed at the intersection of thedivergent paths, and thus to fall head first into the flaring entranceto the branch 13 of the casing and thence into tube 14 from which theyare discharged onto the belt 15.

In accordance with the present invention I provide adjacent to thejunction of the divergent carrier paths and preferably at opposite sidesof the bumper 19 the insulated contact buttons 20 and 21., respectively.These buttons form terminals of an electrical circuit including thesupply mains 22 and 23 (Fig. 4). From the main 22 for example aconductor 24; leads to the button 21 while from the button 20, aconductor 25 extends to asignal 26, for example an incandescent electriclamp. From this lamp a conductor 27 extends preferably to the coil 28 ofa magnetic relay from which the conductor 29 leads to the main 23. Asthus arranged, if a carrier, for example a carrier of the type indicatedat 18, fails to follow its intended path over into the diverging arm 13of the casing, it mav come to rest in the position indicated at 18 inFig. 2, where the metallic body of the carrier will bridge the gapbetween the contact buttons 20 and 21, thus completing the electricalcircuit through the lamp 26 and causing the latter to glow, thusnotifying the operator that a carrier is improperly positioned in thedistributor. In order that the operator may be provided with an audiblesignal in addition to the light 26, I prefer to provide a conductor 30leading from the main 22 to an audible signal 31 for example a bell 01'buzzer from which a conductor 32 leads to a terminal 33. A flexiblecontact maker 34 leads from the conductor 27 to aposition adjacent tothe terminal 33 but is normally spaced from the latter. The magneticrelay device including the coil 28 comprises movable switch arms 35 and35' which are adapted, when the coil 28 is energized, to close a circuitcomprising the parts 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 35, 36 and 29. Thus theclosing of the circuit between the buttons 20 and 21 not only causes thelamp 26 to glow but also causes the bell 31 to sound.

As indicated in Fig. 4 each unit of the pneumatic system, that is tosay, each complete transmission and return tube with its associateddistributor may have a corresponding signal lamp 26, 26 etc, althoughthere need be but one audible signalling device common to the entiresystem. Thus if the lamps be numbered or otherwise designed tocorrespond to their respective distributors, the op erator upon hearingthe bell may determine at a glance which distributor requires attention.

Under some circumstances interference between carriers in thedistributor results in the stopping of a carrier in substantiallyupright position in the main passage and in order to detect the presenceof such a carrier, I prefer to provide the buttons 20 and 21 withresilient depending contact fingers 37 and 38 respectively. Thesefingers extend downwardly along the main passage to a point slightlybelow the buttons 20 and 21 with their lower ends in overlapping butnormally spaced relation. Thus if a carrier should stop in substantiallythe position indicated at 18 in Fig. 2, the head of the carrier willpress against the finger 38 and push the latter against the finger 37,thus completing the circuit through the signalling device thus notifyingthe operator of the abnormal condition at the distributor.

IVhile I have herein described and illustrated one desirable embodimentof the invention, I wish it to be understood that the invention is notnecessarily confined to the exact details, proportions, or relativearrangement of parts here disclosed, but that changes in position, sizeand material as well as the substitution of equivalents, fall within thescope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Carrier separator apparatus for diverting carriers of differentclasses into divergent paths respectively comprising a signal device,and means engageable by a carrier abnormally positioned in saidseparator for actuating the signal device.

2. In combination with carrier separator l l l l apparatus having meansfor selectively delivering carriers of different classes into divergentpaths respectively, signal means, and means disposed adjacent to theintersection of said paths, engageable by a carrier which fails tofollow either of said paths, for actuating the signal device.

3. Carrier separator means of the class employed in carrier dispatchsystems for directing carriers of diii'erent classes into divergentpaths comprising an electrically actuated signal, and a signal circuitincluding circuit closing means engageable by a carrier abnormallypositioned at the separator whereby to energize a signal.

4. Signal means for use in a carrier separator of the kind employed incarrier dispatch systems for dividing carriers of different classes,said signal means comprising an electrically actuated signal, and asignal circuit comprising normally spaced contacts adapted to be bridgedfor closing the signal circuit by the metal of a carrier occupying anabnormal position at the separator.

5. Signal means for use in a. carrier separator of the kind employed ina pneumatic dispatch system for dividing carriers of different classes,said signal means comprising an electrically actuated signal, and asignal circuit comprising normally spaced contacts, one at least of saidcontacts being movable to engage the other by the pressure thereagainstof a carrier abnormally positioned at the separator.

6. Signal means for use in a carrier separator of the kind employed in apneumatic dispatch system for dividing carriers of different classes,said signal means comprising an electrically actuated signal, and asignal circuit comprising circuit closing means arranged for actuationto close the signal circuit either by the pressure of an abnormallypositioned carrier at the separator or by the bridging action of themetal of such a carrier.

7. Signal means for use in a carrier separator of the kind employed in apneumatic dispatch system for dividing carriers of difi'erent classes,said signal means comprising an electrically actuated signal, and asignal circuit comprising a magnetically actuated circuit closer, andmeans arranged for actuation by the pressure of an abnormallypositioning carrier at the separator to energize said magneticallyactuated circuit closer and thereby to complete the signal circuit.

8. Signal means for use in a carrier separator of the kind employed in apneumatic dispatch system for dividing carriers of difi'erent classes,said signal means comp-rising an electrically. actuated signal and asignal cir cuit including a circuit closer, a magnetic relay foractuating the circuit closer, a second signal, a circuit including saidsecond signal and the coils of the relay, and means for closing thelatter circuit in response to an paratus of thekind having a partnormally projecting into the path of'carriers and mov able outofsaidpath'by carriers of one'class topermit them to continue alongtheir normal path,andactingas anabutment to topple carriers of anotherclass laterally out of said normal path and into a divergent path,electrical signal means, and a'signal circuit in cluding means adjacentto the junction of said carrier paths engageable by a carrier whichfails to follow either path thereby to close the signal circuit.

10. In combination in carrier separator apparatus of the kind having apart normally projecting into the path of carriers and movable outofsaid path by carriers of one class to permit them to continue alongtheir normal path, and acting an as abutment to topple carriers ofanother class laterally out of said normal path and into a divergentpath, a bumper at the junction of said path, and electrical contacts atopposite sides of said bumper, said contacts constituting the terminalsof a signal actuating circuit, said contacts being bridged by the metalof a carrier improperly positioned transversely of said junction therebyto close the signal circuit.

11. In combination in carrier separator apparatus of the kind having apart normally projecting into the path of carriers and movable out ofsaid path by carriers of one class to permit them tocontinue along theirnormal path, and acting as an abutment to topple carriers of anotherclass laterally out of said normal path and into a divergent path, apair of normally spaced relatively movable electrical contacts adjacentto the intersection of said paths, said contacts constituting terminalsof a signal actuating circuit and being relatively movable to close saidcircuit by the pressure of a stationary carrier abnormally positioned inthe separator apparatus.

12. In combination in carrier separator apparatus of the kind having apart normally projecting into the path of carriers and movable out ofsaid path by carriers of one class to permit them to continue alongtheir normal path, and acting as an abutment to topple carriers ofanother class laterally out of said normal path and into a divergentpath, a pair of spaced contact buttons adjacent to the junction of saidpaths, said buttons constituting terminals of a signal actuatingcircuit, and normally spaced relatively movable overlapping contactssecured to the buttons.

13. In combination in carrier separator apparatus of the kind having apart normally projecting into the path of carriers and movable out ofsaid path by carriers of one class to permit them to continue alongtheir normal path, and acting as an abutment to topple carriers ofanother class laterally out of said normal path and into a divergentpath, a pair of spaced contact buttons adjacent to the junctionof saidpaths, said buttons constituting the terminals of a signal actuatingcircuit, and a depending spring fingersecured to each button, the endsof said fingers overlaplping and bein normally spaced but adapte t0beengage by the pressure ofan abnormally positioning carrier within theseparator device.

Signed by me at Syracuse, N. Y., this 26th day of Oct., 1929.

, JOHN A. BAUER.

